Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
NASA faces steep FY2027 budget cuts, overall funding slashed to $11B
The White House’s FY2027 budget request proposes a 23% reduction to NASA’s total budget, bringing it down to roughly $11 billion. The Science Mission Directorate would see a 47% cut, dropping from $7.25 billion to about $3.9 billion.
An international team led by ESA has commissioned the first European galactic cosmic ray (GCR) simulator at the GSI/FAIR accelerator in Darmstadt. Using a hybrid active‑passive approach that varies iron ion beams and passive modulators, the facility reproduces the mixed radiation environment of deep space, matching dose profiles observed on missions. The system now offers researchers a laboratory platform to study biological effects on human tissue and degradation of spacecraft electronics, complementing the existing U.S. Brookhaven simulator. Future upgrades at FAIR aim to reach 10 GeV per nucleon, further enhancing fidelity.
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing two sole‑source contracts— a $2.3 billion option and a $99.3 million radar‑source modification— pushing the E‑7 Wedgetail program’s total value above $5 billion. The awards implement the FY 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which directed the service to continue...
China’s state‑run media announced that construction of the Tianwen‑3 Mars sample‑return spacecraft will begin this year, with a launch planned for 2028. The mission targets a return of at least 500 grams of Martian material to Earth by around 2031. Tianwen‑3...
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has opened nominations for its Member Advancement program, inviting members to recognize peers who have made outstanding contributions to the aerospace sector. Eligible candidates must satisfy detailed criteria outlined on the AIAA...
NASA’s 6U CubeSat, part of the SPARCS exoplanet mission, has returned its first images of a distant planetary system. Launched in early 2025, the spacecraft captured ultraviolet and visible light data of the star Proxima Centauri and its orbiting exoplanet,...
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines evacuated a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that had been stranded on Dubai International Airport’s tarmac for 12 days after the Iran‑Israel conflict shut regional airspace. The aircraft, registration PH‑BHH, took off on March 12 without passengers under a...
U.S. Air Force showcased a week of diverse operations, from F‑35A combat missions in the Middle East supporting Operation Epic Fury to Arctic F‑22 sorties defending North American airspace. Joint exercises highlighted B‑2, Navy F‑35C and F/A‑18E maritime strikes, while...
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed over western Iraq on March 12, 2026, killing all six crew members. The loss occurred during Operation Epic Fury and was confirmed not to be the result of hostile or friendly fire. The...
Hélène Huby, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, leads a five‑year‑old spacetech startup that builds reusable, refillable cargo vehicles for low‑Earth‑orbit missions. The firm has already demonstrated semi‑successful cargo deliveries to and from space at a fraction of traditional...
British billionaire Alex Gerko is financing MOTHRA, a distributed‑aperture telescope built from 1,140 high‑end Canon telephoto lenses that together provide a 4.7 meter effective aperture. The array is being assembled at the Obstech‑El Sauce Observatory in Chile, with construction started in...
Drone Fight Group, Bat Drones and Ukrainian maker PG Robotics have begun serial production of the Angel Spire interceptor drone, aimed at neutralising Shahed‑type loitering munitions and other hostile UAVs. The platform can cruise between 150 and 290 km/h and reach targets up...
Eutelsat has terminated its capacity contracts on the Russian‑owned Express AT1 and Express AT2 satellites after Express AT1 failed on March 4 and Express AT2 is being relocated from 140° East. The leases had complemented Eutelsat’s own 36° East fleet (Eutelsat 36C/36D). The company estimates the terminations will...
Qatar Airways has launched a handful of point‑to‑point charter flights to relocate stranded passengers, operating roughly fifteen services—about 5% of its pre‑conflict schedule. The flights, announced on March 13‑14, connect Hanoi‑Paris, Bangkok‑Munich, Bangkok‑Warsaw and Colombo‑Frankfurt and are only bookable through...
Remtec announced its high‑density thick‑film multilayer ceramic substrates, targeting military, avionics, space and industrial markets. The product line offers 6‑8 conductor layers on alumina, aluminum nitride or beryllia, with either gold or low‑cost silver interconnects delivering 1‑3 mΩ/sq conductivity. Features include...
Lockheed Martin announced the successful first flight test of the Precision Strike Missile Increment 2 on March 12, 2026, launching from a HIMARS and flying 350 km. The test demonstrated a new multi‑mode seeker capable of locking moving maritime targets, expanding the missile’s mission...
Aaronia AG will showcase its latest USB real‑time spectrum analyzers and full product line at Satellite 2026 in Washington, D.C. The company highlights the SPECTRAN™ V6 series, featuring sweep speeds over 3 THz/s and up to 450 MHz real‑time bandwidth, as well as the...
Boeing has chosen Astronics Corporation to supply fuel‑tank access doors for its 737 MAX program. The components will be produced at Astronics' Clackamas, Oregon facility, leveraging the company's multi‑discipline engineering and vertically integrated manufacturing. Astronics highlighted its long‑standing partnership with Boeing...
Kazakhstan stands at a crossroads, deciding whether to leverage its Baikonur launch site and AI capabilities to become Eurasia’s trusted broker of space and deep‑tech, or to remain a passive host for rival powers. The global space economy is projected...
NASA’s Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has started building and testing the Dragonfly rotorcraft, a nuclear‑powered drone destined for a 2028 launch to Saturn’s moon Titan. The car‑sized craft will use a radioisotope power system, marking a shift from solar‑driven...
DRONERESPONDERS signed a national operations agreement with the National Real‑Time Crime Center Association to fast‑track Drone‑as‑First‑Responder (DFR) programs across U.S. emergency agencies. The Defense Contract Management Agency took over the Blue UAS Cleared List from the Defense Innovation Unit, aiming...
Deutsche Aircraft has named Nils Heuer Director of Global Sales, tasking him with leading the civil regional and multi‑role/special‑mission markets for the D328eco program. Heuer brings three years of direct D328eco sales experience and a background at Lufthansa Technik, blending...
The Nordic Air Cargo Symposium returns on 27‑28 April 2026 in Riga, Latvia, serving as the sole regional gathering for Northern Europe’s air freight sector. The two‑day event combines a networking reception, a full‑day conference and, for the first time,...
At ACI Airport Day in Quito, global aviation experts discussed the emerging "airport city" model and its economic potential. Corporación Quiport announced a 5,000 sq m expansion of Mariscal Sucre International Airport’s cargo terminal, a new cargo aircraft stand and upgraded truck staging,...
China is rapidly expanding its international space network, now engaging with over 60 countries across Africa, Latin America and beyond. The strategy relies on low‑cost, turnkey packages that bundle satellite design, launch, financing and training, often delivered through state‑owned Great...
Surf Air Mobility has placed a firm order for 25 all‑electric ALIA CTOL aircraft from BETA Technologies, with an option for up to 75 more. The partnership will integrate BETA’s electric planes and charging infrastructure into Surf Air’s regional platform,...
Tokyo‑based Astroscale has signed a launch contract with Germany’s Isar Aerospace to fly its ELSA‑M orbital‑debris removal demonstrator no earlier than 2028, pushing the mission back two years from the original 2026 target. The launch will use Isar’s two‑stage Spectrum...
Airbus is preparing flight tests of a Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie‑based uncrewed combat aircraft equipped with its European‑developed MARS mission system for the German Air Force. The two Valkyrie prototypes, being readied at Airbus’ Manching facility, are slated for maiden flights...
In this episode the hosts discuss the cascading impacts of the Middle East conflict on regional airspace, highlighting widespread closures, reduced airline capacities, and the scramble by carriers like Air India and Lufthansa to add flights and repatriate passengers. They...
The U.S. Army conducted live‑fire trials of a new 30 mm Aviation Proximity Explosive (APEX) round on AH‑64 Apache helicopters at Yuma Proving Ground. Over the course of the evaluation, crews fired roughly 1,200 rounds, pitting the APEX munition against the...
South Korea’s M‑SAM II missile, part of the Cheongung II air‑defence suite, was employed by the United Arab Emirates to intercept Iranian projectiles launched after the U.S. Operation Epic Fury. The engagement, beginning on 28 February, marks the first overseas combat use of...
The world’s only KC-747 tanker (Boeing 747-131F 5-8107) was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran on March 7. This 55-year-old legend refueled IRIAF F-4E Phantoms during the daring 1981 Operation H-3 attack on Iraq’s H-3 base.
From 2017, riding on a KC-135 over Iraq. Nine years later they are still at it. Active, Guard and Reserve tanker crews have been the most open and welcoming to me throughout my career covering military aviation. Horrible days for a...
Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is emerging as a cost‑effective tool for the United States to maintain strategic advantage across Africa. Commercial remote‑sensing satellites now deliver frequent, high‑resolution imagery that monitors infrastructure, mineral extraction, and environmental stress without on‑the‑ground presence. The intelligence...
In presser this morning, @PeteHegseth says that "only 1 percent" of the munitions the U.S. is dropping on Iran today are "standoff munitions," meaning Tomahawk missiles and the like. They've shifted almost exclusively, he says, to munitions launched from aircraft...
The limits of airpower - what are the lessons from #Ukraine in #Iran ? #avgeek #defence #Iranwar https://t.co/qhtkN3j2VB https://t.co/h0v6Nal4fT
Rebecca Evernden, the newly appointed director of the UK Space Agency, outlined a four‑pillar strategy—satellite communications, launch capability, in‑orbit servicing and manufacturing, and space domain awareness—to drive economic growth and national security. She emphasized that the agency’s launch ambitions remain...
.@Astroscale_UK to launch ELSA-M mission to deorbit @EutelsatGroup OneWeb sat on @isaraerospace Spectrum rocket in Japan's FY ending April 2028 "or later," @astroscale_HQ told investors. Launch to be from @AndoyaSpace Norway or Europe's Guiana Space Center. @esa @spacegovuk https://t.co/JrgZkgjmMZ
China resumed orbital launches after a month‑long pause, lifting off a Long March 8A carrying the 20th batch of Guowang internet satellites and a Long March 2D launching the Shiyan‑30 technology demonstrators. The Guowang batch adds to a constellation targeting 13,000 satellites,...
China's Satellite Navigation Office announced an in‑orbit, over‑the‑air upgrade program for the 50‑satellite BeiDou constellation. The initiative will optimise satellite performance, strengthen joint debugging, and improve user‑experience across sectors such as transport, agriculture and disaster response. The upgrades are part...
The proposed sale of Gloucestershire Airport to Horizon Aero Group collapsed after eight months of negotiations. Council owners had set an initial £25 million price, but Horizon’s final offers diverged significantly, prompting the breakdown. The airport, which supports general aviation and...
India’s airline sector shows divergent crew dynamics as IndiGo maintains the largest pilot pool with 5,200 pilots but a modest 7.6 pilot‑to‑aircraft ratio, while SpiceJet boasts the highest ratio at 9.4 despite a small crew of 375. Cancellation rates improved...
The US has burned through "years" of Tomahawk missiles in just days of the Iran war, per @FT. This was entirely predictable. @CNASdc data shows the Navy bought ZERO new TLAMs in FY2019, FY2024, and FY2025. Thread 🧵 https://t.co/MOTOIV1iJp
Lockheed Martin announced on March 12, 2026 that it has delivered the second Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV) shipset, featuring the AN/SPY-7(V)1 solid‑state radar, to Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The shipment, executed through Mitsubishi Corporation under a Direct Commercial Sale,...
The Senate Commerce Committee voted 23‑5 on March 12 to advance Matt Anderson’s nomination as NASA deputy administrator, sending it to the full Senate for final approval. Anderson, a retired Air Force officer, was first nominated in May and renominated after...
In late 2025 Turkey successfully launched an air‑to‑air missile from its Bayraktar Kızıl Elma UCAV. The test marks the first indigenous unmanned platform capable of contesting sovereign airspace, shifting Turkey’s role from ground‑attack drone user to air combat actor. By building...
Ukraine, as it turns out, has cards: the most advanced drone technology in the world
On March 13, 2026, the FAA unveiled a new 140‑foot air traffic control tower at Northwest Arkansas National Airport, replacing the temporary 1998 structure. The tower is 2.5 times taller, offering controllers an improved line‑of‑sight and housing advanced weather‑monitoring, digital...
Kyle Clark, CEO of BETA Technologies, is steering the electric‑aircraft maker toward commercial operations after securing a $1 billion New York listing and a cash pile of $1.7 billion. The FAA recently approved eight advanced‑air‑mobility trial programs, opening the door for flying‑taxi...
Leonardo announced that its M‑346 light‑attack trainer will act as a crewed "mother" aircraft to control two uncrewed fighter prototypes, with the first flight demonstrations slated for May 2024 and a public rollout by mid‑2026. The program, dubbed crewed‑uncrewed teaming...
On 14 March 1986 the ESA Giotto spacecraft passed within 600 km of Halley’s comet, delivering the first close‑up images and in‑situ measurements of a comet nucleus. Irish astrophysicist Prof. Susan McKenna‑Lawlor served as Principal Investigator for the Energetic Particle Analyser (EPONA),...
